Displaying device



H. HAUPTMAN.

DISPLAYING DEVlCE. APPLICATION FILED ]AN. I7. 1916.

Patented Nov. 18, 1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

INVENTOFI l I I a:

WITNESSES I flrmarwgapimwn/ HERMAN HAUPTMAN, OF BEAVER PENNSYLVANIA.

DISPLAYING DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 18, 1919.

Application filed January 17, 1916. Serial No, 72,514.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HERMAN HAUPTMAN,

a citizen of the United States, residing at This invention relates to portable stands for displaying merchandise. It is primarily intended to be used in and about market houses and the like, for displaying flowers, vegetables and food stuffs, but obviously it is capable of being used in a multitude of places wherever it is desired to provide a stand for the purpose of display.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide a stand, which may be conveniently set up for use and knocked down for storage, without the use of tools, etc.

It is also the object of my invention to make an attractive stand Well adapted for the purpose intended.

Another object of the invention is to provide a stand, which although convenient to take down, will be strong when set up for use.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will be specifically referred to hereinafter, it being understood that changes in form, proportion and minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention or sacrificing any of its advantages.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the invention ready for use. i Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view through the table or base, showing the position of the various parts when the table is folded ready for storage.

Fig. 3 is a cross sectional view on the line 33 of Fig. 2, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 4 is an edge view of the supported stand folded, and

Fig. 5 is a detailed view of one end of the stand folded.

For the purpose of distinction I will designate my invention as consisting of a base or table and a stand supported thereby. The table is illustrated as consisting of two flat boards or members 1 and 2, hinged together at 3, and reinforcing beads or flanges at and 5 are provided for the respectlve members 1 and 2, and these also constitute flanges upon which the respective leg sets 6 and 7 may be pivoted, for example, in Fig. l, the pivot 8 showing the manner in which the leg set 6 is pivoted, while 9 indicates the manner of pivoting the leg set 7. The legs of each set are reinforced by cross strips 10 and 11. It is of courseunderstood that the respective sets of legs may be swung on the pivots to fold under their respective members 1 and 2, so in order to maintain the legs rigid with respect to the table, I have provided braces 12 and 13 respectively, pivoted to the legs and having openings to be engaged by the spring latches 14 and 15 which pass through openings in the braces 12 and 13, as will be well understood by reference to Fig. 1. The table is provided near its respective ends with plates 16 and 17, 18 and 19, provided with slots or notches 20, 21, 22 and 23, 2a and 25 to receive the ends of the standards or legs of the stand, which will be described hereinafter.

The stand is shown in Fig. 1 as consisting of a plurality of shelves or slats, connected together by suitable links. In the present instance I have shown three slats 26, 27 and 28. The several slats are hinged intermediate their ends, as at 29, 30 and 31. At the respective ends of the slats 26, 27 and 28 are links which also serve as legs or standards for the stand. At one end are standards 32 and 33 spaced apart by the links 34, one for .each slat. The standards or legs 38 and 39 are connected to the other end of the slats wit-h corresponding links 4:0 and are supported by the depending or swinging leg 41. The front standards or legs 33 and 38 respectively, are pivoted inside of and to the vertical portions of the angle bar links 34 and 40, while the rear legs or standards 32 and 39 are pivotally connected to the outer faces of these links, consequently, when the shelf sections are collapsed, the hinged intermediate ends of each shelf may be brought into horizontal alinement with one another, and the shelves folded into a plane with one another or in a flat condition, permitting the section of one of the shelves being folded upon the opposite section of the shelves. The specific construction of these links, provides between the vertical portion thereof and the extreme outermost ends of the shelf sections, a space to accommodate the legs 33 and 38 when the latter assume a folded position.

It will be observed that the ends of the standards 32, 33 and 37 at one end and 38,

39 and tl at the other end engage the slots or notches in the top of the table, so that a rigid support is provided for the stand. When however it is desired to fold the display device for storing, the stand is first re moved from the table and the legs are brought together, as shown in Figs. a and 5, to bring the edges of the slats in alinement so as to make them perfectly flat. By reference to Figs l, 4: and 5 it will be observed that the standards and links 33, '34 and 37 are offset with respect to one another as are the corresponding structures at the other end. This enables the operator to flatten out the row of slats or shelves, so that when the stand is collapsed it can be folded back into half of its original length on account of the hinges 29, and 31. The table is then knocked down by releasing the braces 12 and 13 from engagement with the flanges i and 5 and the spring latches and the legs are then folded under the table. Inasmuch as the stand is of less length than the table, the stand may in its collapsed state be placed within the cover or housing, formed by folding the table at the hinges 13. I have not shown the stand contained Within the folded table in Fig. 2, because it would cause confusion in reading thi figure, but the collapsed stand is shown in Fig. a ready to be placed in the housing as shown in Fig. 2.

It will be apparent that although a stand constructed in accordance with my invention will be cheap to manufacture, it may readily be set up and taken down, and when set up will provide an efficient and attractive device for the purpose intended.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

In a display device, a folding stand comprising a row of shelf forming slats hinged intermediate their ends, links of angle bar construction secured to the outermost ends of each of the shelf forming slats, legs at the forward and rearward portions of said slats, the forward legs being pivoted inwardly of and to the vertical portion of said links, the rear legs being pii oted to and eXteriorly of the vertical portion of said links, and a swingable leg carried by the uppermost pivot of each rear leg.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

HERMAN HAUPTMAN.

WVitnesses MARY C. HARPER, MARY L. HARPER. 

